Rheumatoid Arthritis Is An Autoimmune Illness
Rheumatoid arthritis is one of many autoimmune illnesses in which a person's own immune system
mistakenly begins to attack itself, inflicting illness and damage. A person's immune system is
designed to guard the body from infections and illnesses-but in the case of an autoimmune illness
similar to RA, the system turns on itself and the antibodies within the blood target body tissues which
causes inflammation. RA causes inflammation of the joints, in addition to inflammation and aching
around the joints themselves. RA can also be known as a systemic sickness and as a rheumatoid
disease as it affects multiple organs within the body.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic illness and some patients can go for lengthy periods of time without
experiencing debilitating signs however it's usually a progressive illness that can incapacitate its
victims. In this specific autoimmune illness, the inflammation affects the tendons, ligaments and
muscles which can lead to the destruction of cartilage, bone and ligaments. The joint, where bones
meet and allow movement and bending of the body becomes swollen and painful with RA. Deformity
of joints is widespread and can occur early on in the disease. RA is most frequently diagnosed in a
patient after the age of forty and earlier than the age of sixty however can be found at any age. As
with most autoimmune diseases, females are more often affected than males and in fact women are
three times more prone to develop RA than their male counterparts.
Though the cause of RA is not known, multiple members of the family might be affected raising the
question of a genetic link in the disease. Researchers suspect that infectious agents like viruses,
bacteria and fungi play a part in the development of RA however so far testing has proved
inconclusive. Researchers have found that smoking seems to increase the risk of developing RA. As
with other autoimmune diseases, it is suspected that something, whether environmental or genetic,
triggers the immune system to begin attacking the body and inflicting inflammation in organs like
lungs or eyes and even the joints.

RA can be active or in remission, meaning that when tissue inflammation subsides the disease has
also subsided. When an individual experiences a flare or a relapse the illness has become active
again a person can feel fatigue, no appetite, low grade fever, stiffness and muscle and joint aches.
Mornings are harder for folks with Rheumatoid arthritis and after lengthy periods of inaction there is a
considerable increase in stiffness and pain. During a flare up of symptoms, excessive joint fluid is
produced because the lining tissue of the joint becomes inflamed, causing redness, swelling, pain
and tenderness. Multiple joints are usually involved and occur in a symmetrical pattern, meaning that
either side of the body are affected.

Because the small joints of the hands and wrists are often affected, small everyday chores become
almost impossible. Turning a door knob becomes excruciatingly painful, opening a jar is not possible

and hobbies similar to knitting or painting are interrupted or must be abandoned altogether due to the
aching they produce. As with most autoimmune illnesses, there isn't a cure for Rheumatoid arthritis.
The purpose of remedy is to alleviate the symptoms and help a person affected by RA to have a
greater quality of life.
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